The Mountains to Sea Trail is in North Carolina. The section which traverses Watauga County is a distance of 16 miles. The intent of this blog shall be to share the progress of our work and the beauty of the trail with others. This blog is hosted and moderated by Shelton Wilder.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

DIG THIS ~ BIG DIGS.... JULY 16.17... WILLYOU BE THERE?

Hey Folks, Its time for a Big Dig! Each year for the last three we have hosted a FMST fellowship and trail building weekend in these mountains.

This year we will be working near Blowing Rock off of the BlueRidge Parkway near milepost 291.

Temperatures are cool in the evenings, sometimes as low as mid 60s!

The daytime temps reach a soaring high seldom above 84.

You can expect afternoon showers that sometimes drop the temperature as much as 15 degrees in 10 minutes! Generally they pass quickly.

You will have noticed, the Rosebay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) are in full bloom now through mid July. (click to enlarge for best viewing)
Rosebay Rhododendron, also known as Greal Laurel or Great Rhododendron is a multi-trunked small tree or large shrub that is very common in the understory forests of slopes in these Watauga Mountains.

Rosebay Rhododendron blooms in early summer. Flower color ranges from light pink to white, though white is most common.

But the most remarkable color can be found in the budding blossoms. The flower buds are pinker than the opened flowers. The leaves are large, leathery, and evergreen.

There is a remakable symmetry to the blossoms ~ this one reminds me of fireworks exploding.
A newly opening bud is called a crown.

Seen from above and the side you can easily understand that term. My favorite "Crown" is the next photo, click to enlarge it to see its sweetness and moisture laden beauty~ Yummy eye candy!

We will be working in a Rhododendron thicket during the BIG DIG.... sometimes known locally as a Laurel Hell (though not truly a laurel) or sometimes called a Rhododendron Slick. Often they are 12-20 feet tall and you will look up to see the blossoms at this location along our trail.

Lest we crane our necks looking up and miss some of the finer discoveries found below.

This woodlands salamander was found along the trail at creek side near AHO this week.

This little critter is one of many species of Southern Appalachian salamanders.

Click to enlarge and you will notice this little fellow has a heart shaped spot on his side!In fact, all of these photos of this set are much more enjoyable to view in a large format. Check out the last one~

Time to move on along his way as he marches back toward a crack between the rocks.

There are so many wonders, large and small to discover within the Watauga forest

along the Mountains to Sea Trail.

I regret I will not be able to particpate in the Big Dig this year.

I have photographed our Big Dig events and covered them in this blog over the years. I hope you will take time to peruse the following links for an idea of the joys of trail fellowship and volunteer effort we share on the trail.

I truly hope some of you will send me pictures to share from this event, please send me your photos.
You may email me photos to esheltonwilder@yahoo.com. I will compose a blogpost of your experiences soon. Thanks! I'm counting on you!!!

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John Lanman's Trail Report

Trail work will begin again in the spring. Check back for scheduled work days.

828-963-6901

Contact JohnThanks.

Whats the Weather Looking Like in These Mountains???? Click below for Ray's Forecast!

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Most photos can be scrolled over and clicked upon to enlarge.

MST road sign

Look for our MST WORK sign if you want to find us on the trail.

Do You Want to Become a Trail Volunteer?

We welcome new volunteer helpers on the Mountains to Sea Trail in Watauga County. There is something for everyone to do no matter what your ability or experience. We have participants ranging in age from 14 to 84. For more information please contact John (828-963-6901) our Task Force Co-ordinator and Crew leader or Shelton (828.264.5317) Crew Leader and Blog Moderator for more information. We will have scheduled work days on the Thursday prior to the third Saturday of each month AND the third Saturday of each month. We supply all of the tools and gloves. Look for the MST WORK sign along the road. If you miss us at 8:30 come to the Blue Ridge Parkway and look for our orangeMST WORKsign!